Kayaking Safety - The EssentialsWatch this short video to learn how youcan insure that your paddling experiencewill be relatively safe for all involved.Training Canoe Newbies Over the years, Cliff Jacobson has formed afew tests to get new canoeists ready to run whitewater rivers. Read all about them.

Reviews for 3-D Kayak by Perception

I have a 3d perception kayak. I bought it as a first kayak. I mainly use it in a large lake. I have not tried it in a river yet. I am very pleased with the results of it. When paddled correctly it tracks and handles very good. If you try to go fast it is a lot more difficult to make it travel in a straight line. It is a very stable kayak which spins around on a dime. It has lots of leg room. Great Kayak!!!! I Would buy a 3D again if it ever breaks. I doubt it will break it is made out of S-linear.

I've been paddling for about six years, mostly polo and occasional whitewater up to grade 4. I'd consider myself a competent class 3 kayaker. Our club has a 3D that I've paddled on Goolang creek, which is fairly tame with rapids up to easy grade 3 lots of nice small waves and stoppers to surf and holes to play in, and the Upper Nymboida River, with large grade 4 chutes and drops up to 3 metres, and numerous shallow boulder garden type rapids. I've also taken it out in ocean surf in a fairly gentle swell. I found the 3D to be a great beginner's playboat on the creek, as its medium chines and planing hull allow you practice your surfing and carving skills, and the low volume stern makes tail squirts a breeze. It'll cartwheel pretty easily in a decent hole too. I first learned to surf and do enders and squirts in a whiplash, and found the 3D much more playful, but more forgiving than modern playboats with very hard chines like the Riot Tricktser. It was a different story on the Nymboida though. It handled the drops and chutes ok, but the flat stern and pointy bow made the 3D difficult to manouver through the rock gardens. It has virtually no rocker, so the bow tends to dig in very easily, and can flip you very quickly if you are caught leaning against a rock. The stern also tends to catch easily. I had the same problem in the surf, and found that I needed to lean right back over the back of the boat to keep the bow from pearling while on a wave. This wasn't a problem in the trickster in the same conditions.

So, overall:Pros - It tracks well on flat water and is easy to roll, even hand rolls aren't too diffcult. I'm about 6 ft and 80 kgs with size 11 feet, and I can fit comfortably in the 3D thanks to the foot bumps. Surfs and spins easily thanks to the short length and planing hull. Carves easily on smooth waves. I can cartwheel it easily in a hole, but haven't managed on flatwater.
Cons - I'm considering trying to modify it to give it more rocker, as the lack of rocker is the biggest problem with this boat in my opinion. The pointy bow sucks. It digs in way too easily, making boofs and steep waves needlessly difficult to handle.

I'm a IV boater. 5'9", 175 lbs., 32" inseam with 9 feet. I agree almost to the letter with Brian Landers entry below, only I've found the 3D to work pretty well in Class IV. It is certainly not a Class V boat, so I guess there is a line that needs to be drawn somewhere.

It aint much of a playboat, though it surfs and squirts very well. If you're my size or smaller, pick one up as a river runner, and you'll be happy.

The 3D has given me a lot of good paddling days, and helped me to improve my playboating skills. I am able to fit with ease, with 34" inseams and size 11's. It easily handle someone bigger than my 185 lbs. It also front surfs very nicely. I would say it is a good beginner and intermedate boat for bigger folks. On the flip side, the bow has a lot of volume that makes it hard to submerge, and is very narrow making enders a little squirrley. I am not good enough to comment on cartwheels or other advanced moves.

I've had my 3D for three years and I've taken it everywhere. There is some good thinks about it and some bad things. First lets start with the good, it is a good all around boat with enough volume up front to take on the whitewater, but low enough volume in the back to surf. While surfin it reacts on a dime and spins well on big glassy waves(loves glassy big waves). It doesn't like any wave that is steep becasue of the long front. But, can be eddgy at times which can be a good or a bad thing depending if your use to it(You learn how to use this to your advantange). The pointy front likes to pin but always seemed to come free, I always wanted to melt it up a little but the foot pegs are in the way. The back can be grabby at times, always while running big pushy whitewater with lots of boils. If you get caught leaning back at all it tips quick. The boat does great on big class threes or small class fours, but haven't really liked it in anything above a solid class four. Overall a good boat but out of date with all the new technology. Once you get your roll its snappy and quite easy. But combat rolls take some time to get. Easy to roll in pool. If you are a class three boater that wants an all around boat that tracks well the 3D is right for you.

Love it, tracks well and has enough room for my 6'4" body and size 13 feet. However a big footed pereson my have to put in a foam bulkhead becuase foot pedals are small. Learned how to role in 2 classes with it. Big guy may need to order a ez control long thy brace the top control is made for a little guy.

It's a really good learning boat. I found it easy to paddle. It helped me learn how to tricks and gave me confidence in my role. The boat is pretty light and small which made everything a little easier and I'm glad I have had the boat for so long!

I really like this boat! It was fun to play in and easy at the same time. I liked the way Perception did the front end with the scoop, it made a difference compared to other boats. I am not that talented of a play boater, but in this kayak I was able to learn moves easier. I own a Dagger Redline and like it alot! The only reason I did not purchase the 3-D was due to my legs being uncomfortable and I prefer bulkheads. This kayak is fun, it was easy to do tricks in the smallest of holes.( Even easier than the Redline.) Both are great, it just depends on your comfort.

I love my 3d. I am a 235 pound 6'1" male that thought he would be overwhelmed with this boat. That was not the case. I found stern squirts effortless, cartwheels and enders wherever I wanted, and it was comfortable on top of that. I can't say that I would want to stay in there for more than two hours but that is true for any kayak. The best part about this boat is the way it surfs. It carves like no other boat out there. I can stay on a wave all day and still have as much fun as when I started. Overall this is a great boat, even for those bigger paddlers.

The 3-d is one fun playboat,Stern Squirts hardly require effort,It handles class 4&5 water with no problem,long trips are also no problem due to the feet humps built in theres plenty of room for taller paddlers not like other playboats available today. It surfs well and 360's are not a problem. It doesn't do wave wheels well I guess do to the fact theres alot of volume in the front. As far as speed its a little slow but compared to the other playboats it could be worse.

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